‘Someone’s following you.’
‘Right, I can see how that would go.Hi, police, last night I think someone else was walking on the lane in the dark and they stopped and stood still for a few seconds. Then they were in the pub toilets and they turned the light off on me while I was trying to pee… It sounds stupid now and I don’t think they’ll do anything. Besides, I haven’t seen this person. I have no evidence that the person on the lane was following me. They could have been innocently waiting for a dog to do its business.’ She slumped in the chair.
‘Or they could be dangerous. You hear about these things happening all the time. Look at what happened to Amber. You just watch yourself, mate, okay?’ He looked down at her, his warm eyes making her feel safe and he opened his strong arms and gave her a huge Tyrone bear hug.
‘Anything else happens, I’ll report it.’
He released her from his embrace. ‘Okay. Tyrone will be angry with you if you don’t.’
His phone beeped and he smiled. ‘Get in there.’
‘Another smiley?’
He nodded. ‘I love this app. This is going to be the best year of my life, I can feel it.’
‘Can I see?’
He held his phone down to reveal a broad man with the shiniest dark skin she’d ever seen. ‘Whoa. You lucky man.’
He grinned. ‘Yes, last night’s was good too. Woohoo.’
‘I best get going if I’m to grab lunch before my next lecture. Is it cold out?’
‘Fecking freezing. Wrap up warm.’
She did up the buttons on her coat and flung her bag over her shoulder. ‘I’ll catch you later.’
‘And you.’ His attention was immediately diverted to his phone as she left him and headed towards the stairs. Just as she’d passed the café on the ground floor, her phone began to vibrate. She glanced at the man who’d sent her a smiley last night. A message had appeared in her inbox.
Hey, how about we meet up later or sometime soon? We could catch a film or grab a bite to eat. I’m a nice guy – promise.
She smiled and began to type back. Her dark-haired Adonis was waiting for a reply. Should she do it now and look keen, or wait and not look too keen? AppyDater wasn’t about waiting for the right one, it was about trying many and seeing what happens. It was about fun and she tried to remember that. She quickly replied:
I’d love to do something. Surprise me. I love a surprise.
She shuddered at the thought, then wondered if she’d done the right thing. After the incident last night, she wasn’t sure she liked surprises any more.
Leave it with me.
Nice reply. It didn’t sound weird, just friendly. He looked to be not much older and was fairly local. If nothing else, they’d have a good night out and if they didn’t gel, they could both move on to the next date.
Her phone rang, a number that wasn’t stored in her phone. ‘Hello.’
There was no reply.
She held the phone to her ear trying to listen for clues but then the sound of people walking along echoing corridors filled her ear. ‘Hello.’
‘Sorry, hello. Is this Madison Randle.’
‘Yes. Is everything alright?’ There was something in the woman’s tone that worried her. Her brow furrowed as she left the library and walked out into the freezing fog, taking the steps down towards the river.
‘I’m Angie, an A&E nurse at Cleevesford General Hospital. Your great-grandmother, Betty Falconer, has been admitted. I’m sorry to tell you she’s had another fall but don’t panic, there are no broken bones and she’s sitting up in bed having a cup of tea. We know she was recently admitted with a broken leg following a previous fall and it looks to be taking longer than expected to heal, so Occupational Health will also assess her while she’s here, see if we can offer her more assistance at home.’
‘I’ll be right there.’
A man bumped into Madison as she stopped in the middle of the path. ‘Sorry.’ She held her hand up and smiled as he passed. ‘Thank you. When you see her, will you tell her I’ll be with her soon?’
‘Of course I will.’
